It's odd hearing somewhat young actors commenting that they don't want to do work in big franchise/comic series, because being in at least one of those can set an actor up for life
Not sure how these contracts are made up in the post-covid/streaming world, but I would assume being even mid-card in a critically acclaimed, massively commercially successful film, while also being competently talented, means you never have to sign on to a project for the money. Hell, it might even mean you can help a struggling project find financing that it wouldn't otherwise have, either through yourself personally, or certain connections you've made.
Heck, Marvel, who was known for many multi-appearance contracts, aren't even doing that anymore. Therefore, no one if stuck being at the beck and call of studios. And even if you do get tied to a trilogy, these are high profile films who huge visibility. There's also generally enough room to do something with a character. As long as the writing and dialogue isn't completely terrible.
Heck, Marvel, who was known for many multi-appearance contracts, aren't even doing that anymore. Therefore, no one if stuck being at the beck and call of studios. And even if you do get tied to a trilogy, these are high profile films who huge visibility. There's also generally enough room to do something with a character. As long as the writing and dialogue isn't completely terrible.
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I think it has more to do with not wanting to get type cast or be stuck in a role for ten years or more. Look at the avengers stars really none of them had huge roles or positively received movies outside the MCU, say for maybe a few outliers.
I think there’s genuine reluctance to wanting to avoid a large franchise even for buckets of money for some actors. It’s just not for them.
Do you have an example ?
So are there examples of actors who have not been in positively received movies?
I’m not asking if the MCU makes someone immune to picking a bad movie too lol
Until they grow up and realise that critically acclaimed movies that nobody sees don't pay the bills, put their kids through college etc....
These films use to pay pretty well, but that's not longer the case. Marvel/Disney believe that the IP is the star, and not the actors. So you aren't getting a massive payday just for being in a Marvel film. There are some exceptions (Downey) but that really just leaves less for everyone else.
It's also hard to sign up for these projects because you don't exactly know what you are getting. Actors love to sign on to projects because of the director, but I don't think people are doing that to work with the directors Marvel is gonna use. Nolan? Sue. But Matt Shakman doesn't have that kind of pull. But you also don't know if Shakman will even be around.
Because there is so much content now, it's also easier to get discovered. You don't need the superhero films for that.
Since it is a very nice paycheck, that likely comes with residuals and also the benefits of having your name known to a wider audience, why wouldn't you want to do something like that so it freed you up to pursue more personal projects?
There are a lot of actors/directors that hit it big with a project or two, that were then able to invest their time and energy into smaller indie projects or even didn't pay as well but gave them artistic satisfaction because they had that money/status.
Or in other words, why wouldn't you be willing to make what some actors would view as a compromise or sacrifice, that would have longer term benefits?
And many serious actors who took those sorts of roles also criticized them or made it clear they were just doing it for the money.
Again, it’s not a big deal.
But he wasn't just talking about Marvel.
Also, he frequents this sub and wants to discuss something Marvel-related (but also having a wider scope) with *this* community. I for one have zero problems with that.
What makes you think a relatively new actor would earn more money in a small/mid-sized role in a Marvel film as opposed to another film? Marvel Studios isn't known for its generosity...
I don’t think it’s rocket science to see why he’s not terribly interested in doing a Marvel movie. He doesn’t need to.
Just a quick Google set...
>Actors & Their Career-Defining Bombs:
>Alicia Silverstone: Batman & Robin (1997) was such a critical and commercial failure that she reportedly grew wary of Hollywood and acting.
>Taylor Kitsch: John Carter (2012) was a massive financial disaster that stalled his momentum after Battleship also underperformed.
>Brandon Routh: Superman Returns (2006) was meant to launch him as a major star, but its lukewarm performance led to a stalled career in blockbuster films.
>Elizabeth Berkley: Showgirls (1995) became a notorious flop, heavily impacting her film career despite later success on TV.
>Cuba Gooding Jr.: Multiple bombs like A Thousand Words and Norbit severely damaged his leading man status.
>Lindsay Lohan: I Know Who Killed Me (2007) is frequently listed among movies that derailed an actress's potential.
>Francesca Hayward: The disastrous Cats (2019) was expected to be her breakthrough but became a major bomb.
>Jamie Kennedy: Son of the Mask (2005) is cited as a role that hurt his career.
>Other Notable Examples:
>Geena Davis: Cutthroat Island (1995) is often mentioned as a major film that negatively affected her career trajectory.
>Jaden Smith: After Earth (2013) was a huge bomb that impacted his film prospects.
>Halle Berry: Catwoman (2004) is a well-known example of a superhero movie bomb affecting an Oscar winner.
That's not how those contracts work though. Young actors/actresses get "Guild Minimum" as a contracted salary, usually around $700k. They don't have any leverage to negotiate for back-end points, so they get nothing from the box office take.
Also note, $700k kicks into the highest tax bracket immediately, and their agent gets a cut, so they're seeing maybe $350k in their bank account and then they won't get another paycheck for 2-4 years until the next appearance.
Worse, their ability to negotiate higher salaries is limited as well. The contracts usually stipulate their salary increases, so they're locked in to a salary scale that's favorable to the studio. That's why RDJ threatened to quit to get the rest of the Avengers much higher salaries.
Then there's the type-casting and the lack of other opportunities, an actor/actress in a single high profile role very often becomes unhireable because they're associated with that specific character. It's often a choice between guaranteed salary for some number of years versus the possible inability to work in anything other than voice acting afterwards.
I'm not sure where you read that Marvel isn't doing multi-appearance contracts, but they absolutely are. A good high profile example is Majors, who was signed through as Kang with a stipulation that only he can be Kang. I think people are confusing the lack of multi-appearance contracts for Disney+ characters because the shows were originally supposed to be "one and done" affairs, with the movies.
For an individual to be able to get residuals they have to be experienced, have a track record of success as a lead, and be considered a guarantee of quality.
The other piece is their salary. Someone who might command a 20 million salary, could be willing to take 10 million with 5% residuals instead, keeping the film under budget.
Residuals are not like bonuses for you and I, you have to be a major lead actor to get them.
Many of these actors, if they got a chance for a substantial (if not starring) role in a big franchise project with a massive payday, wouldn't hesitate for a second to sign on the dotted line.